Only Human (Cancelled, read at your own risk)
by Halesia Carolina
Summary: Mariana Callahan is 100% mortal (albeit one who can see through the Mist). Her younger half-brother, Hayden, isn't. So it only makes sense that she would get suspicious when he suddenly starts going to a mysterious summer camp. What will happen to our main character when she gets mixed up with gods, demigods, and monsters? Mariana's made a big mistake. After all, she's only human.
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1: WELCOME TO MY WORLD**

 **Hello everyone, I'm SuzuBells! I'm a new fanfiction writer, and this is my first fic. I've been looking around and reading other people's awesome stuff, and decided I wanted to try my own. Please tell me if there's anything I'm doing wrong. Feedback always makes me giddy. Also, I haven't read any of Riordan's actual books in a year, so I'm kinda rusty. Once again, feel free to correct my mistakes. I'm hoping this will turn out well! Please take care of me, everyone! And yes, I have always wanted to say that, ever since I got into anime and manga. Anyways, I don't really have a plot in mind for this. I sorta came up with the idea one day, browsing through this amazing site. As for the setting, I'm not really sure. For now it is at CHB, after TLO but before HoO. This will be a mainly OC-centric story that focuses on the more "normal" campers. There will probably be brief mentions and cameos of the main PJO and HoO characters. Also, heads-up, I don't really do romance so if you're looking for that, look elsewhere. I do hope that you'll try this though. Thank you, and of course I am neither Rick Riordan nor Disney and lay no claim to any of his/their works. P. S. Updates will be sporadic, if they even happen at all.**

 **Fun Fact: Mariana's initials are MC. I only realized this after I decided that her first name would be Mariana and her last name would start with a C. Now, lights! Camera! Aaaaction!**

Of course, it all ended up in a bang. Everything was on fire now, and clearly something had gone horribly wrong. I cursed myself, because I had obviously made the mistake of my li—

Wait. Backtrack. What exactly is going on here? I'm very sorry for not introducing myself here. Mariana Callahan, at your service. Just your average (or not so average) teenage girl in her first year in high school. Fourteen years old, brown hair, brown eyes, medium skin tone. Nothing notable. The previous summer, I moved from Washington (NOT D.C.) to New York, New York. What a fun thing to say. It just rolls off the tongue. New York. New York. New Yooooork. New Yoooo-AS I was saying (and I'll be saying that a lot, let me tell you), I had been there for an entire year. It was early June. My mother, my half-brother, and I were living in an apartment building (my father passed away before I was born. I can't say I'm sorry. Wow, I feel heartless), and school was about to end for the year. YES! **(A/N: I have never been to New York. I have no idea how the NY school system works, or anything really, so please excuse any made-up locations or inaccuracies I make)**. Now, I feel like this is the part where I tell you something important: I have seen strange things all my life that no one else can see. Although, obviously, I'm used to them so they're not strange to me. I used to call them the Beings (no one ever pointed one out to me when I was young and said "That's a cat. That's a tree. That's an Ancient Greek horror from the depths of Tartarus that will rip you to pieces and eat you if you aren't careful"), but now I know better. The things I've seen have ranged from crazy teenagers with swords to giant black dogs to winged horses. Lots of winged horses, in fact. Most of them come to and from Seattle, but that's not important. What's important is that that was the summer that changed my life forever. And not in a good way. Now, it all began then, way back when I was still young and innocent, still able to ignore all that went on around me. The first time I noticed something was wrong, oh, probably when I saw a group of kids waving weapons at some kind of snake lady on the street. And one of them was my baby brother.

 **I hope you liked my first chapter. It didn't go as I had planned, exactly, but I still think it's alright. But still really short. I swear that that kind of awkward rambling style is only for this chapter, and I'll try to change it to something more interesting. Unless you like it. I don't know, tell me. Be warned, I've got a feeling that I'll be…experimenting a lot with this, for lack of a better word. Expect sudden tense and/or POV changes. So I believe that some authors put inspirational, meaningful things here, so I'll share one of mine with you: Money can't buy you happiness. But it's much more comfortable to cry in a limousine than on a bicycle.**


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2: SOMETHING STRANGE**

 **PLEASE READ! THIS IS IMPORTANT!**

 **In the days after it first came out the first chapter got changed a bit, some of which was important so I'll say it here. Now, the Callahans have been in New York for one school year, and Mariana's school is about to be out for summer. The important part is over now, you can get to the story.**

 **Hey all! Its SuzuBells again, back with a new chapter! First of all, I'd like to thank everyone who checked out my last chapter. I even got a couple of followers! Fangirl squeal! Wait. I'm fangirling over my… fans? Hmm… Anyways, I'll keep this short.** **DISCLAIMER: I am not Rick Riordan and lay no claim to any of his works.**

 **And now….. Lights! Cameras! Aaaaaction!**

It was a Friday like any other, until it wasn't.

My brother Hayden had finished school the week before (lucky kid!) and I was walking home from Goode High School. I still can't believe that's its name, by the way. I know my mom was looking for a "good school" but really? Really? Not to mention, everything is ridiculously cheesy. They milk that name for all it's worth. Wait a second. Milk? Cheese? Oh no, what am I thinking? But back to the story. I was waiting to cross a busy intersection, staring at the ground (my thousand-ton backpack makes it hard to stand up straight), when a flicker of movement caught my eye. I glanced up, and lo and behold! A monster! Well, this one was more on the humanoid side, but the bottom half of her body was reptilian. A group of five teenagers around my age brandished swords, daggers, bows, and all manner of dangerously sharp, definitely not allowed in school weapons. Eh, nothing special. I turned my head to look away. Then I saw something that made my heart stop. Well, almost. Not really. But I was pretty shocked when I saw my one and only little brother amongst the group of fighters.

Allow me to stop time and introduce Hayden Callahan. He's my twelve year old baby brother, and he's just adorable. I mean, he tries to act all serious and mature. I just want to ruffle his hair all day! In fact, he's actually my half-brother, but I never knew his dad. After all, I was, what, two when he was born? But Hayden's father left shortly before he was born, so I'm told. My mother wasn't married to him, after all. I feel bad for my mom, having to cope with two losses and two kids at the same time, without anybody to rely on. Ever since I was young, I had to help out with taking care of my brother while my mom worked. But we managed. In fact, we even moved because of her job. Which brings us to the very moment you've all been waiting for.

In that instant, I threw caution (and my backpack) to the wind. "HAYDEN!" I screamed, sprinting across the street just as the light turned red. Hayden turned to look at me, and the monster took the opportunity to attack. But one of the others sliced her in half before she could do anything and she disintegrated into golden dust (ouch!). Meanwhile, I, still shouting like a maniac, tackled my brother to the ground, huffing and puffing (there were no houses to blow down). "What was that? What happened? Are you alright?" are all the things that I managed to get out before I noticed he was saying "Mariana. Mariana. Sis! Get off of me!" I realized I was crushing him and stood up, taking deep breaths and dusting myself off. I offered him my hand, pulling him up, and then I realized that people were staring at us. The five teens looked at me disbelievingly, clearly wondering if I was sane. Then one of the boy's eyes widened, like he suddenly realized something. He had blond hair and stormy gray eyes, looked to be about sixteen, and carried a sword. He whispered something to the others, and they all started nodding. The boy stepped up, handed Hayden something that looked like a business card, and said "Hayden, we've got to go now. Remember what we said, okay?" Hayden nodded putting the thing into his pocket, and then the group blended into the crowd before I knew it. "Mariana, let's go home" he said. I frowned and began drilling him with questions. I asked him if he knew what had just happened, who those people were, if he could see the monster, why it attacked him, and more questions of the sort as we walked to the apartment. Hayden just shook his head and didn't speak. I had a feeling that he wasn't denying anything, though.

Later that night, once I had fixed dinner for Hayden, I snuck into his room (I care about him, okay? I might be just a…little…bit…overprotective, but it's normal, alright?) to see any clues as to what had transpired that day. His bed was made, his backpack on the floor. There was nothing on his bedside table, or on the shelves. I even opened some of his books and shook them, but stopped when a bookmark fell out of one. That made me feel guilty, so I tried to put it back in. Wait a second. Wasn't Hayden ADHD and dyslexic? What was he doing reading books? Well, there would be time to think about that later. I looked at his jacket, draped over his chair. The pockets were empty, except for some change which I quickly put back in. And then I saw it. On his desk.

 **Hooray! Chapter 2: officially done! This one is longer, but I promise the next one WILL be over 1000 words. I want to cut down on my A/N's until I add more story...but there's just so much to say! Oh well, what can you do? Once again, I just can't thank you all enough. Virtual brownies for everyone! Except for you, Octavian. No, not you either, Umbridge. You know what? I might as well just put them away now. Goodbye, please review, and remember: Sharing is caring, unless it's your homework.**


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3: THE WAY TO LONG ISLAND**

 **Alright! SuzuBells here! In honor of Magnus Chase (and the Sword of Summer), I'm releasing today! Now, for my thank-you to everyone who read/followed/glanced/considered in passing. Have a virtual brownie! Special thanks to Chaos Evans, IsabellaFaye11, and TheSummerNightingale. But extra-special thanks to AutumnLeaves03! Your review made my entire career as a fanfiction writer! Shall we start now? Lights! Cameras! Aaaaaaaction!**

I blinked once. Twice. No matter how hard I tried, I still couldn't believe what was before my eyes.

A Hogwarts acceptance letter.

…

…

…

HAHAHA, JUST KIDDING! I tricked you all! Bet you believed me for a second, DIDJA? MWAHAHAHA EVIL LAUGHTER yeah. I know, that was just awful of me. But I couldn't help it! It was just too great to pass up. But for real now.

It was right there on his (ridiculously neat) desk. The business card. I remembered that blond boy with the striking eyes who had given it to him. What had he said? Something about remembering something. Oh well. Anyways, what did these people want? Were they trying to advertise something? What can you advertise by killing monsters, anyways? I picked up the card to look at it closer. It was bright orange and had strange symbols in white. I blinked— for a second I could have sworn it was white with a picture of a field that said DELPHI STRAWBERRY FARM. Probably nothing. When I flipped it over, the back also had the same kind of symbols, except for it looked like an address or something.

What the heck?

Anyways, it was all Greek to me. Then I realized. Greek. I'm a genius! Being the genius that I am, I turned on my computer and input the words into a translator. I had to search for the Greek alphabet, at which point I realized it was Ancient Greek (again, what the heck?), then painstakingly copied each and every letter from the site to the translator, which magically had Ancient Greek as an option. After some fiddling around, incomprehensible translations, and looking at alternate interpretations, I finally got something that I could read:

Camp Half Blood

Half-Blood Hill

Farm Road 3.141

Long Island, New York 11954

(800) 009 0009

Hmmm. A camp? A summer camp, maybe? I guess it made sense…in the way that cutting all the flowers in someone's backyard with a chainsaw and telling them to buy your second cousin's ice cream brand made sense. In other words, it didn't. Oh, wait. The card was probably something from school (such a weird name though) and wasn't actually the thing that boy gave Hayden. Yes, that was it. I searched the rest of his room (even the sock drawer) until I remembered that he put it in his pocket. It was probably still in there. Ah, well. That could wait until tomorrow—I needed to shower, and believe it or not, Hayden spends a reeeeeally long time in there. So unless I wanted to wait a whole hour, the mysterious business card of mystery could wait. Even if it had to do with the Beings (monsters. Whatever). I left the room and did my thing. By the time I was done, I was pretty tired and ready to crash. As I lay in bed that night, I thought of what I should do to get Hayden to tell me what was going on.

When I woke up, he was gone.

* * *

He wasn't in his room. He wasn't eating breakfast (It was 11 AM, but hey. Saturday). He wasn't even in the bathroom. I searched everywhere, but nope. No sign. Not even a note. I was right about to check my mom's room when she opened the door, rubbing her eyes groggily. "Where's Hayden?" I demanded. She replied "Mmm…Hayden? He's at camp." That one word threw me for a loop. "Camp? What camp?" Mom's face said _I don't have time for this_. "You know, we've been planning this for a month. His friends came to pick him up this morning. You know, the ones around your age…?" I blinked. Instantly that group came into mind. Camp? Camp sounded familiar…OH! The business card advertised a Camp Half Blood. Then that really must have been it. Somehow they made my mom think that it was all planned. I had a feeling it was like how people couldn't see the Beings. "Oh, right. I forgot. Thanks, mom." I went into Hayden's room once more. Yup, sure enough, his backpack and jacket were gone, along with a few other things. I would have called him, but Hayden was "too young to have a phone" according to mom. I had to wait until I was thirteen to get mine, after all. Anyways, I decided to do some packing of my own. After all, I would have to go to this "camp" and make my baby brother spill the beans.

Once I was ready (having eaten some cereal and put some snacks and money in my backpack), I had to tell my mom. So I decided to tell her the truth…or most of it. Leaving a note that said I would be on Long Island "with my friends", I shouldered my backpack and walked out the door, locking it behind me. When I left the building, I decided I would use the convenient public transportation system to get there (thanks, Google!). After an hour and a half of exchanges and walking, I finally got to the part where I had to drive the rest of the way. But no, I had no car. I was fourteen. I was going to call a taxi. And now, to demonstrate my fabulous NYC cab whistle! My friends had taught me this after I moved—surely I could do it by now, right? I put four fingers into my mouth, two on each side, and blew...

What came out was a tiny squeak that quickly fell flat. So I tried again. And again. And… At this point, I was red-faced and way too embarrassed to try anymore. With a sigh, I waved my hand and hailed a cab the normal way. Handing the driver the business card, I got into the car. For another half hour, I gazed outside the window, lost in the passing scenery. I saw fields…fields…fields…dragon…fields…Wait, what? Dragon? I looked again, and sure enough: shining on top of a hill, what was undeniably a reptile of the winged kind.

The taxi went down a rutted dirt path that led to that very hill, and stopped. "Here we are," the driver said, handing me my card back. "Delphi Strawberry Farms." Huh. How odd. Well, this was related to the Beings. What else could I expect? I thanked him, tipped him, and got out. A wooden sign in front of me was also covered in Greek symbols. When I compared it to the business card, I knew that I had come to the right place. Camp Half Blood.

 **Finally a longer chapter! Also, I don't know if the address is right or not. I just copied it off the fanfiction Days of Future Past by** **ChickWithThePurpleGuitar** **, which I highly recommend. Plus I've never actually used public transport before, so please excuse my cluelessness. I did actual Internet research until I realized, what the heck, it doesn't matter. Thanks for checking out this new chapter—stay tuned! See y'all next time! Saying of the day: You can be anything you want. Except for a unicorn. Those are one-of-a-kind (sorry, last unicorn).**


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4: WELCOME TO HIS WORLD**

 **Back again! Here's chapter four, and just let me say thanks the world to AutumnLeaves03. Your review meant a lot to me! Like, a lot. Well, this chapter is going to be different from the others. I'm testing out my powers of description here! So lights...cameras...Action!**

I looked over the hill upon a picturesque scene.

Pure blue skies hung over a solitary pine that lay on a verdant carpeting of green. It was almost as if there was some sort of invisible line across which the grass really was greener on the other side. Little wildflowers dotted it here and there—blue flax, daisies, sweet alyssum, cosmos, forget-me-not and countless others. In the distance were woods and a lake, and beyond that fields stretched on into the distance. If I hadn't had more important things to worry about, I would have whipped out a camera and put it on a postcard there and then. But of course, there was the camp.

First and foremost was the dragon. It curled around the pine tree, perfectly content. Above it on a branch lay a shimmering golden thing that seemed to radiate peace and calm. Then there was an open-air eating area with rows of tables and benches neatly arranged on marble. There was also what looked like a campfire pit (just looking at it made my mouth water as I imagined a warm, soft, melty marshmallow fresh off the stick. Paired with chocolate and graham crackers…) with a young girl—about eight—sitting beside it. An arena complete with training dummies and weapons stood next to an archery range where many arrows lay on the ground, but still more on the targets' bull's-eyes. A climbing wall made of rock spewed molten lava every so often (there was no way that was legal). Stables full of winged horses lay off to one side, mirroring an outdoor arts-and-crafts area where what looked like looms were set on tables. There was even a basketball court. All this outdoor activity made me wonder what it was like when it rained. Though to look at it then, it was impossible to imagine even a single drop of water falling from the heavens. In the center of everything was an old farmhouse covered in chipping sky blue paint. It had a bronze eagle weather vane on top. Then there were the cabins…don't get me started on the cabins. There were about twenty. Suffice it to say that one had what appeared to be real green flame and another was covered in more plants than a four-thousand-year-old castle. But somehow everything fit some sort of chaotic harmony.

Through it all were children and teenagers of all ages. Whether canoeing on the lake, climbing the wall, practicing archery, simply chatting or even sword fighting, everyone cheerful and content. There were beautiful, almost ethereal women and men with goat's legs and horns among them. It felt, strange as it was, like the way a summer camp should be—one big family in a place where everyone could have fun. I had to get to the bottom of this mystery.

So there I was, standing on the hill by the sign. Taking a deep breath for some reason, I strode forward as if I was passing into a new chapter of my previously normal life.

And promptly rammed straight into a brick wall.

 _Ouch._

Let me tell you, the sensation of walking headfirst into an invisible barrier sucks. Have you ever walked into a screen door? It was like that, but with _backlash_. That made it a million times worse. I could sense a sort of vibration all around as if the very air was warping. Some of the people inside the barrier twitched but did not look up. I was walking around, testing it, and the wall was not letting up anywhere. So much for sneaking in unnoticed. Giving up, I began to knock on the barrier, which quickly turned into pounding and shouts of "Let me in! Hey! Listen! I'm heeereeee! Let me in!" That got the people's attention. A group of them immediately went into the farmhouse while others gathered around to where I was. That quickly led to a surprisingly awkward moment where everybody was looking me and I was looking at them, but each of us was waiting for someone else to speak.

Finally, a Latina girl with dark hair and blue eyes the color of a lake stepped up. She spoke in a quiet but firm voice, saying "Who are you? Why are you here?" I looked at her for a second, then replied cooly. "I'm looking for Hayden. I'm his older sister. I know he's here, isn't he?" Wow. That came out far more confident than I thought it would, especially since some people had started pointing weapons at me. Where do you even get those? Do you walk into a weapons store and say, "Hey, I need a new sword. Give me the sharpest one you got"? No, because come on. This is twenty-first century America, not medieval Europe. But what I had said caused a wave of whispers to roll down the crowd. "Hayden? Who's that?" "Isn't he the new kid?" "If she's his sister, why can't she come in?" and more of the sort. It went on like that for a few minutes, until finally help arrived.

In the form of a man with a horse's body.

Now, I don't know if you've ever met a centaur before, but let me tell you, it's pretty jarring. Yes, even more so then people with goat legs. At least they only have two. But add most of a horse and you find yourself thinking of all the wrong questions, like "can centaurs eat grass? What kind of digestive system do they have, human or equestrian? And how do they sit? Do they even sit? Is it tiring to stand all day…" on and on and on, while trying your hardest not to stare. The centaur in question finally cleared his throat.

"Um." I said eloquently. I have a way with words.

* * *

After I watched the orientation video, the pieces of the puzzle were starting to fall into place. I finally understood what was going on.

Sort of.

But let's be optimistic here. Chiron, as the centaur was called, told a little girl, a bit younger than Hayden, to "take her to Cabin 11", where apparently my brother was supposed to be, and by her he meant the queen of England.

No, really.

…

So when I asked about Cabin 11, the girl said that that's where the children of Hermes stayed. Which led me to assume that Hayden's father was Hermes. After all this time, it was pretty hard to believe that my mother had a child with a god. Heck, I've probably _met_ said god, though I would have been too young to remember. Not only that, but my brother—my _baby brother_ —was not entirely exactly one hundred percent human.

It's a lot to take in, right? And I was only fourteen. Well, I shouldn't have felt bad. I heard that demigods lived pretty awful lives, and I came to learn that firsthand, too—but that's later, so it doesn't matter. I mean, just imagine: you find out that Greek myths are true, and that you are one of them. It was…unsettling, to say the least, to imagine Hayden living such a life. On the streets, no money, no one to rely on…I shuddered and shook my head as if to clear those thoughts away. Then and there, I promised myself that I would never let that happen to my baby brother.

Oh, how far I went for that promise.

I apologize for all my teasers…makes it seem like I caused the end of the world. Whoops, shouldn't have said that to you—just kidding. I'm just messing with you. Or am I? DUN DUN DUN… I'm getting off topic. What I mean to say is that a whirlwind of thoughts swept through my mind as we (don't forget the girl) walked towards the cabins. Finally, we were there.

It was a traditional wood cabin, and it looked almost as old as the farmhouse (or 'Big House'). A worn brass number 11 was next to the wood door, looking like it had weathered centuries of exposure to the elements. Which was impossible, because apparently the strongest weather in this camp was a cool summer breeze. I knocked on the door, suddenly feeling butterflies in my stomach. Was there a god for that? Finally, a bored-sounding voice said "Come in."

I took a deep breath (again, for dramatic effect) and opened the door, not sure what to expect.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5: A DAY AT CAMP**

The inside of Cabin 11 matched its exterior: Old, and completely normal. Bunk beds were stacked up against the wooden walls. I saw various pictures, stuffed animals, and other sentiments by each bed. Several people were here and there throughout the cabin. When I walked in, all eyes turned to me.

And then there was Hayden.

He was sitting on his bed, open book in hands (I winced, feeling guilty about the bookmark incident). As everyone's faces…well, faced me, I did a double take. Why? Because all of the people there had the exact same eyes as my brother. Then I realized. It was because they were all related.

Strange feelings coursed through me…Jealousy? I mean, Hayden and I were obviously related: we had similar features, and his hair was just a shade lighter than mine. But looking at them all, it felt like these people would always know him better than me…understand him better than me…be more liked by him than me? What was I thinking? I blinked furiously, as if to clear my head, and finally noticed Hayden's voice. "-iana…Earth to Mariana…" "Ah, yes." I smiled awkwardly, partially raising my hand. "Hello, everyone…?"

After my brother introduced me to everyone, he took me on a tour of the camp. He told me about the lake, the climbing wall, the Big House and the second Titan War. I shuddered at the thought of my baby brother in a war. But Hayden seemed a lot more excited than I had ever seen him. Why? What was so special about this place that made it oh-so-much-better than our home together? I must have stopped paying attention at some point, because I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Gods, Mariana, you're so spacey today." Gods…? Well, now that I thought about it, I guessed it made sense… It would probably have been best to start replacing my vocabulary. Or not? How was I to know?

I started to pay attention. Hayden told me about lots of things: How apparently his father was Hermes, god of thieves and travelers. He talked about how nice it was to finally understand what was going on with his life, to have an explanation for the inexplicable. I told him about the things I had seen, and how nobody else seemed to. How nice it was to have someone understand what was happening to you—even just a little bit. Eventually we just settled into a comfortable silence. Then the little girl from before came running up to us. "Chiron wants to see you," she said to me, "at the Big House." The Big House, wasn't that the blue farmhouse? Hard to miss. I thanked her, and would have tipped her, except this wasn't really a job. "Bye," I said to Hayden, "See you later."

* * *

When I got to the Big House, the centaur and another man—wearing the most peculiar clothes—were sitting in front of a table, playing cards. "Ah, Mariana. There you are," said Chiron. "This is Mr. D, our director here at camp. Mr. D, this is Mariana, our new camper's clear-sighted sister." The man gave off an unsettling aura. I felt like I wanted to get away as soon as possible. He glared at me briefly, and then ignored me completely, like I wasn't worth his time. Chiron began to speak.

"Mariana, after some thought, we decided it would be best for you to leave rather than stay at camp." Wait, what did he just say? Chiron continues, "We can keep your brother safe here, whereas you, being mortal, don't need our training or our protection. In fact, it would only put you in more danger. The safety of everyone is our primary concern." "What? But—" was all I managed to get out before Mr. D. cut me off. As in, he literally swiped his hand through the air and I couldn't speak anymore. "Stop complaining and go home," he said, and I nodded mutely and started to walk away, but Chiron stopped me. "Wait, before you go. Argus will take you home in the van, and this is for you" he said, picking up a book I hadn't noticed before and handing it to me. I looked at it: _Greek Mythology._ The cover showed an Ancient Greek-style columned building, and above it the words were in that 'Greek' font. "Thank you," I responded mechanically, putting it in my backpack and walking away. On the ride home I was completely silent, distantly staring straight ahead. I didn't even blink an eye at all the ones "Argus" had.

Upon arriving at my apartment, I immediately went to my room. I lay on my bed, and then I snapped out of it. What had just happened? The past two-something hours had gone by in a flash. I barely remembered getting home at all. And I absolutely did not want to go home. I wanted to stay at camp. At camp, with Hayden. But that man… _that man_! Of course! He must have done something to me, cast a spell or something. I began to feel angry. How dare him! He wasn't a god or anything…was he a god? He probably was. But still! That just wasn't fair! I deserved to have respect as much as anyone else. I definitely did not deserve to have…whatever _that_ just was. Just thinking about it made my blood boil. No one had the right to treat others like that. Even worse, it was my _brother_ he was in charge of. It was not acceptable in any way, shape or form.

So I made an (admittedly rash) decision—one that I would most definitely regret later. Well, you only live once, right? Or thrice. So I've heard, anyway. And that was what led me to, at 7 A.M. sharp the next morning, show up in front of the pine tree on Half-Blood Hill with a picnic basket, a book, and a whole lot of determination.


End file.
